This invention relates generally to a class of lightweight aircraft, referred to as "ultralights" and more particularly to an aircraft receiving its lift from an inflatable canopy type of flexible airfoil wing.
Ultralight aircraft more commonly featured today for recreational and sporting purposes involve use of relatively rigid wings as part of a glider type airframe mounting a lightweight powered propeller. Such aircraft although exceedingly light in weight are dimensionally extensive and bulky so as to create ground transport difficulties and storage problems. Further, such aircraft require highly skilled pilots and are subject to stall, spin and other uncontrollable conditions in the hands of inexperienced pilots.
In comparison with the foregoing types of "ultralights", a powered flight vehicle having a flexible airfoil canopy associated therewith provides a substantially smaller aircraft that is collapsible to a more compact condition for ground transport and storage. Such aircraft are already known as disclosed, for example, in a published U.S. Air Force Technical Report AFFDL-72-73, entitled "Parafoil Powered Flight Performance", authored by John D. Nicolaides. This type of aircraft has, however, been found to have various control and handling problems and requires towing by a land vehicle for take-off. Accordingly, the inflated airfoil canopy type of aircraft has not been heretofore seriously considered as as a marketable "ultralight".
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a powered flight vehicle having a ram air inflatable, airfoil wing canopy, as an "ultralight" not subject to unsafe flight hazards such as stall and spin.
A further object in accordance with the foregoing object is to provide an "ultralight" aircraft that is so easy and simple to pilot as to enable safe solo flight by relatively inexperienced persons since pitch and roll controls are not required.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flight vehicle construction for the foregoing type of "ultralight" aircraft that is collapsible and foldable into a most compact form.
A still further object is to provide the foregoing type of aircraft that is readily easy to launch or condition for take-off without towing, and easy or simple to control during flight including directional steering, climb and descent.